2018 Jeep Cherokee
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 686 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 8th highest complaint count among 12 Cherokee model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 11 involved a crash and 5 involved a fire. 7 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Power trainApr 29, 2025
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The power transfer unit (PTU) may become damaged and disengage the transmission and differential, resulting in a loss of drive power and/or loss of park function.
A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. A loss of park function can cause an unintended vehicle rollaway, which can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will update the drivetrain control module and PTU software and replace the PTU, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning February 19, 2026. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 01C.
Campaign 25V011000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, wiring, front underhoodAug 9, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
Campaign 18V524000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, axle assembly, axle shaftJul 26, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Cherokee all-wheel-drive vehicles. The bearing cage for the right front halfshaft assembly may not have been properly heat treated, possibly resulting in the bearing cage breaking and a potential halfshaft assembly failure.
If the halfshaft bearing cage breaks, the halfshaft may not be able to transmit engine power, causing a loss of drive or it can allow the vehicle to move while in the "Park" position. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front right halfshaft assemblies, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U78.
Campaign 18V494000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, wiringMay 17, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
Campaign 18V332000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsMay 1, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with a 2.4L engine. These vehicles may have been manufactured with a fuel tube that may leak fuel into the engine compartment.
A fuel leak in the presence of the ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel tube, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U39.
Campaign 18V282000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engineOct 24, 2017
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Cherokee and Compass vehicles equipped with 2.4L engines. The engines may have a cracked oil pump housing that can result in oil pump failure.
If the oil pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the oil pump, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 5, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T65.
Campaign 17V670000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, other, labelsAug 31, 2017
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The tire and rim size information required to be on the Certification label was omitted during manufacturing, which may result in an incorrect tire and rim combination being installed on the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
The missing tire and rim designation information may lead to an incorrect combination being installed on the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners and will provide a corrected certification label, free of charge. The recall began October 13, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T53.
Campaign 17V543000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: other or unspecified
173 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Air bags, Other or unspecified, Jul 12, 2022
With in a month of purchasing and many times after the dealership supposedly did a update to the shift shaft but always returned I turn car off have to wait and it goes away now it is staying more than usual and appearing more also with in a month my air bags had faulty wiring Thomson dodge only fixed one under driver seat bc their dx only showed one default a month after that the passengers air bag wiring went bad they refused to fix it so with in first year my passenger air bag needs to be repaired I am driving w two faulty car issues that I practically bought this is dangerous after review many complaints from other same make and model jeep owners shift shaft message and air bag message to replace
Other or unspecified, Apr 18, 2022
Shifter, bezel, and harness I have been discussing with several people that this is an issue in a lot of jeeps currently and my car is only 4 years old. This $1400 fix is crazy.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 16, 2022
Vehicle has stalled on multiple occasions. Safety hazards include stalling in middle of intersection and being stranded. Call out for service at this time, therefore problem has not been reproduced or confirmed. Not inspected yet. No police involvement. No warning light-including battery or engine light- upon initial start of vehicle. Battery and engine warning lights visible at time of stall. Battery was turning over but engine not engaging, however, able to restart vehicle after multiple attempts. No jump start required. Warning light disappeared after restart of vehicle and only reappeared upon subsequent stalls. No apparent issues- other than stalling- while vehicle is driven. Problem has been very inconsistent.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Mar 27, 2022
While driving, vehicle shuts off without warning, this has happened 3 times even though the car was supposedly repaired with a new battery and a new alternator.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jan 8, 2022
My Jeep Cherokee with only 43,000 started to randomly give me error messages that says "service shifter". This has happened multiple times when I am driving and all my lights on the shifter light up red and I am unable to determine what gear I am in. I have to stop driving turn my engine off and back on to get this to correct itself. In addition, one day I was driving and all of my headlights flickered and all of my dashboard lights went out for 5 seconds then came back on. My battery has died twice now recently and there was nothing left on. Due to these issues and the fact that I do not have a check engine light on, I called Jeep to see if there have been any recalls or other complaints, I was informed that there have not been. I have been doing some research online to find multiple forums where people with 2018 are having the exact same issue. This is posing a safety risk and I would like to see what steps can be taken since I am not the only one.
Other or unspecified, Dec 21, 2021
Myself along with several other that I have researched have been having problems with SHIFT SERVICE on our jeep Cherokee cars
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Dec 20, 2021
service shifter warning light and It seems like it's happening to a lot of jeep. I believe it should be a recall.
Steering, Power train, Other or unspecified, Dec 6, 2021
Car shuts down after seeing "service shifter"
Other or unspecified, Nov 10, 2021
Driving down the highway the sunroof on our 2018 Jeep Cherokee exploded.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Nov 7, 2021
A message stating service shifter continues to come up and car has now started to stop/stall in the middle of driving now. Car dealership has no clue what it is and I am seeing online many others having the same issue. Very dangerous when the car just starts to stop out of nowhere even without the message not on as it can cause accidents.
Other or unspecified, Oct 20, 2021
Sunroof exploded driving down interstate 54 East out of Jefferson City MO. No objects struck the sunroof. Sunroof was closed at the time of the incident fortunately, if it had been open passengers in the vehicle were likely to be harmed by this failure. It was a sunny afternoon around 70 degrees outside. Vehicle has 45k miles on it and is in good condition otherwise. Vehicle has been returned to the dealer for repair. I will be contacting Chrysler regarding the incident.
Other or unspecified, Oct 18, 2021
Unknown, my vehicle keeps cutting off in the middle of driving. It's a safety Hazzard to me and everyone else.
Power train, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Oct 15, 2021
Twice so far on this particular Jeep, all of the lights on the shifter light up and on the display above the steering wheel it displays the message “Service Shifter”. The issue will go away once the Jeep is shut off and turned back on. I have researched this online and a ton of people are having the same exact issue with low mileage. This needs resolved ASAP. I would hate to see what happens if we’re driving or to get left stranded somewhere.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Oct 12, 2021
While driving, all lights on gear shifter all light up and message on screen will say shifter needs service. Stays on while driving. Typically occurs at night. When I start the vehicle the next morning the light isn’t on.
Other or unspecified, Oct 9, 2021
A warning came on to service the shifter.This has happened several times. I just learned how to report it.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 28, 2021
When driving, car completely turns off with no warning. No icons are lit to possibly tell of issue. Car has done this numerous times
Other or unspecified, Aug 11, 2021
Vehicle was purchased brand new 04/06/2018. Within the first month (after putting on 500 miles), the battery had to be replaced. On 06/17/2021, the alternator, battery and sensor had to be replaced at a total cost of $1234. Now, the "SERVICE SHIFTER" light is appearing on my console and it cost me $160 just to run diagnostics at the dealership where I purchased the vehicle and I am told that the gear shift module and wiring harness will have to be replaced at a cost of an additional $460. The vehicle has not yet reached 35,000 miles. After doing an on-line search, it seems this is a very common problem with the JEEP Cherokee models from 2014 - 2018.
Power train, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Aug 10, 2021
All lights on shifter console light up red and light which says "Service Shifter" shows up on dash. Reviews of this problem online is showing it to be a common problem.
Other or unspecified, Aug 5, 2021
The "Service Shifter" message appeared in the display on 27 July 2021. I contacted the dealership to schedule an appointment. My appointment was 2 August 2021. My factory warranty expired in July 2021. The service advisor stated that the repairs would not be covered under the factory warranty if it was still active. The wire harness and the bevel had to be replaced. I contacted Chrysler via email to inquire as to why this repair is not covered by the manufacturer. They replied "Thank you for contacting Jeep Customer Care. I am sorry to learn that you had concerns with your Shifter and I do understand your frustration. Unfortunately, this is not an Open Recall on your vehicle at this time. If it does become an Open Recall in the future, you are able to submit for reimbursement review. At this time due to the Warranty expiring, and it not being an Open Recall we are unable to assist you with the costs. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need any further assistance by calling us at 877-426-5337." There has been numerous complaints about this issue and the manufacturer has done nothing to resolve this problem. Like most Jeep owners with the same issue, we have to pay for the repairs which is about $600.00. This is a safety issue that should not be ignored. The vehicle could shift into park while driving which, according the other Jeep owners, has happened or the engine will shut off. I think the manufacturer should notify all Jeep owners of this problem and issue a Recall or Technical Bulletin to address this issue.
Other or unspecified, Jun 7, 2021
Vehicle has approximately 40,000 miles and the "service shifter" light has come on about 6 times. Each time, if the vehicle is turned off & restarted, the light doesn't come back on for a few weeks. It has never come on while driving. This condition has not been replicated by a dealer or mechanic. The vehicle seems to drive fine.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, May 13, 2021
"SERVICE SHIFTER" WARNING COMES UP ON THE DASH AT DIFFERENT TIMES. IT MAY BE AT START UP OR WHILE DRIVING. IT'S A SERIOUS PROBLEM. YOU HAVE A MINIMUM OF 400 COMJLAINTS ALREADY. JUST BOUGHT THIS 2018 JEEP CHEROKEE ON 5/8/2021 AND WE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS ALREADY. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM, OR IS IT THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FIX IS? MANY OF THE OWNERS OF THESE CAR ARE STUCK IN A CIRCLE JERK...DEALER SAYS IT DOESNT EXSIST AND YET IT KEEPS HAPPENING. PLEASE INVESTAGATE THIS PROBLEM AND FORCE THE MANUFACTURE TO FIND THE FIX. I KNOW MY DEALER KNEW OF THE PROBLEM BUT ELECTS NOT TO ADMIT IT. THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT DOES NOT THROW A CODE SO NOTHING SHOWS UP. I CHECKED MINE TWICE WITH MY OBD READER AND I EVEN DROVE AROUND WITH IT CONNECTED TO SEE IF IT WAS A DRIVABLITY PROBLEM BUT THAT PRODUCED NOTHING. VERY SORRY THAT I PURCHASED THIS CAR! NEVER OWN A CHRYS. PRODUCT AGAIN.....AND I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER CAR FROM THIS DEALER.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 22, 2021
AT RANDOM TIMES THE MESSAGE "SERVICE SHIFTER" APPEARS, AND ALL OF THE LIGHTS ON THE SHIFTER TURN RED. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT A DOZEN TIME AND HAS HAPPENED WHEN IN DRIVE(ON HIGHWAY AND STREETS) AND WHEN IN PARK. IF I TURN THE CAR OFF AND ON THE MESSAGE DISAPPEARS. FROM ALL THE RESEARCH I'VE DONE IT APPEARS TO BE HAPPENING TO A LOT OF JEEP (2014-2019) OWNERS. SEEMS VERY DANGEROUS!!!
Power train, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Apr 22, 2021
DURING TRANSIT DOWN THE STREET AND ONCE THE CAR TURNED ON IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE SHIFTER COLUMN LIGHTS ARE LIT UP IN RED, THE DASH READS SERVICE SHIFTER. PLEASE HELP US AND OTHERS RESOLVE THIS ISSUE AS IT IS A HIT AND MISS WITH THE DEALERSHIPS AND JEEP STATING THAT IT IS NOT AN ISSUE ENOUGH TO CALL IT A RECALL WHEN THERE ARE DOZENS IF NOT HUNDREDS WITH THE SAME ISSUE.
Other or unspecified, Apr 13, 2021
STALLS WHILE DRIVING DOWN ROAD! I PULL OVER RESTART!
Other or unspecified, Apr 13, 2021
WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET OR HIGHWAY WHEN MY VEHICLE COMES TO A STOP IT STALLS OR WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED. UPON CHECKING THE OIL IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS NOT EVEN A QUART LEFT NO INDICATOR LIGHT NO OIL CHANGE NOTIFICATION; I HADN'T YET REACHED THE MONTHS OR MILEAGE ON THE STICKER RECOMMEND BY THE MECHANIC SHOP WHERE I GET MY OIL CHANGED,